China Investing In Africa- Settle Down western world, its a good thing!

Recently in the news, it was noted that Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao have been making trips to 8 countries in Africa. Of course this sent alarms ringing all the way through the Whitehouse.
Below is some interesting information about China and African trade relations from the original article:

China-Africa trade

Africa's merchandise exports to China increased an average of 48 per cent per year from 1999 to 2004. Here's Africa's top five exports to China (and share of total):

* Oil: 62%
* Ores and metals: 17%
* Agricultural raw materials: 7%
* Manufactured materials: 6%
* Textiles, apparel, footwear: 5%

These are Africa's top five imports from China (and share of total):

* Textiles, apparel, footwear: 36%
* Machinery and transportation equipment: 33%
* Manufactured materials: 18%
* Ores and metals: 9%
* Agricultural raw materials: 3%


The idea of “helping” Africa and heavily investing in the country without mentioning such issues as human rights makes them cold sounds like the USA a little bit jealous. China is helping Africa in developing and breaking the poverty cycle; in return they are fueling their booming economy. China must really want African resources to shut down factories to reduce pollution and traffic when 40 African leaders came to Beijing to talk politics and make their stay more comfortable. To shut down Chinese factories for even a day means huge revenue, this definitely shows how important the summit was to China.

China needs Africa's natural resources to support its exponential economic growth. China has done more than $60 Billion worth of trade this year, Africa's third most important trading partner.


China has helped pay off 70 million dollars in debt for Sudan, which helps break the poverty cycle and have pressed into letting UN peacekeepers into Sudan, which is what western countries wanted. Furthermore, Hu wrote a $13 million cheque for a new presidential palace in Sudan. This may be a little too obvious and seen as a bribe.

It has been said that some Human Right groups want to boycott the 2008 Olympic Games in China if they do not force fro democracy and human rights in Africa. Why would they push something on another country that they themselves do not believe in (Democracy)? However, they are not pushing for communism either, which may be a good thing.

Hu had to cancel a trip to a copper mine in Zambia because there were fears employees of a Chinese mining company were planning to protest safety and other work-related issues. Is it really the responsibility of the Chinese to ensure safe working conditions in another country? Although it is their country, it is also the role of the African government to step in and assess the working conditions.

“They are not here to develop Zambia," a prominent Zambian legislator said. "They're here to develop China." Ya so what! China is trying to develop their country. It makes perfect sense what they are trying to achieve. China has limited land space and limited resources. However they are technologically and economically advanced compared to African countries. To continue growing at the current rate, it only makes sense that they would align themselves with these countries.


In Nigeria, several Chinese oil workers have been taken by local military, which accused the Chinese and the Nigerian government of stealing oil. The South African President who Hu met on his trip warned of what he called a Chinese ‘neocolonial adventure' in Africa. It sounds like the people of Nigerian have a problem with their government rather than the Chinese; it is their government who is selling its resources from the people. If they didn’t want the Chinese in their country, they did not have to allow them. It is because of their weak economy that has made them susceptible to Chinese dominance.


Who are we to step in a block China from its dealings with these African Countries? After all, we exploited the Native Americans that lived on the land we now call home! Some shinny beads and alcohol (Firewater) and we came out ahead. It all comes down to development. Each society tries to further better itself on a global scale. I think the only reason people are concerned is that cheap African resources (oil) aren’t coming to North America to benefit us!

So I say, good for you Mr. Hu! You have helped further advance your country like a leader is suppose to do, and in turn you have helped decrease the poverty cycle in some of these African countries! Is this a bad thing?


This is a very good and informative news story about this topic, it is a 3 part special.

Part #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy3G3fldLfI
Part #2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTXVi35vi_k
Part #3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdmHFlbc9rQ

Ya right, well I guess I can only speak for myself. How I am to know what those MIT students are doing late at night in the lab. When it comes to David Levy, I think his predictions of marriage to robots obscured. We are barely able to get a robot climb a set of stairs for under 50 million dollars. How are we expected to produce a machine to take us to “pleasure town” and back that people can afford?

The very thought itself scares the crap out of me! What if the thing goes haywire? The idea of penetrating or being penetrated by half a million Volts is terrifying.

Above: Maybe the fun doesn't just stop with the robot making you super!

I agree that the concept does make sense. After all we have learned about the Touring experiment, and how a human could not distinguish between a computer communicating with him or another person on the computer. If we were able to interface emotion and other sensory features that distinguish us as humans, then the idea is very possible. We have seen that the visual component of producing a machine to look like a human is within our capabilities. After all we live in a world of xxx realistic penis and vaginas’ anything is possible. Furthermore, if you look at the example of transsexuals, we have all heard the stories of guys going up to a “woman” later to find Josie was really Joe! If it looks really enough I guess people may be fooled into it. So for any of you worried about this very situation when it comes to robots, forget the condom, buy a metal detector.

"There's a trend of robots becoming more human-like in appearance and coming more in contact with humans," Levy states. Well I am in contact with my computer and TV and car everyday. I don’t have any unusual urges to “stick it” in the CD ROM drive or try to marry my 1998 Toyota Corolla. Its not that I’m manufaturistic (discriminatory against manufacturers), I just discriminate equally!

"If you have pedophiles and you let them use a robotic child, will that reduce the incidence of them abusing real children, or will it increase it?" Arkin said. This idea really gets my blood boiling! The very idea of sex with a child should not be encouraged whether it is with a child or a sheet metal, nuts and bolts. Owning a robot for sexual purposes would reduce the prostitution rates. Well how are prostitutes going to make a living? I once read many “good” prostitutes make more than many of the men working on Wall Street. ($100,000+ USD), why would we want to take their jobs from them?

Another statement Levy made was "But who knows, maybe some other relationships could welcome a robot. Instead of a woman saying, 'Darling, not tonight, I have a headache,' you could get 'Darling, I have a headache, why not use your robot?' " I don’t want to speak for women but I think the idea that you are having sex with something other than your wife may get you in hot water. Would it be considered unfaithful; after all, your are investing your emotional effort when you are having sex with the robot. Levy's arguement that the population will decrease is also bunk! If we look at the world today, developed natoions ( the ones that would be buying the robots), their population is currently not growing anyway. The developing nations who's populations are increasing will not have to worry about decreased in population becasue they do not yet have the resources or economy for such a robot. So, I think this whole idea of sex with robots and marriage is a total shame or sci- fi dreamed up by some bored people.

Just so you know, I will definitely not be running out to buy the first “Love Master 2000” complete with 5W30 dual purpose motor oil.

Maybe someday the woman in this picture will be replaced by the robot to her left!

CCA #2- Man and Machine

The days of Robo Cop and Bionic Woman may no longer be the days of science fiction. All around us new technologies are becoming extensions of ourselves; consequently becoming symbiotic hosts and the dependence on each other is ever growing. This trend can be observed in the transportation and even health sectors.
It all started when our legs were traded for a new technology: the wheel. The automobile has become an extension of man’s legs providing the link from a destination in his head to the rotating wheels beneath him hence, combining man and machine as one symbiotic unit. Man relies on machine to transport him and the completion of this task results in the machine’s needs of fuel and maintenance being taken care of by man. This phenomenon can be observed all over the world since the dawn alternate transportation. Therefore it is evident that machines have become extensions of man in order to symbiotically benefit both sides.
Additionally, technology has become integrated with our internal structure. Today with health science, humans have learned how to live in unison with machines. My friend who was completely deaf can know here up to five times better than a normal human because of a hearing implant, connecting his brain with a hearing aid. Thanks to the implant, he can now learn easier and live an otherwise normal life. It is clear that as humans we are utilizing technology to benefit and change ourselves and vice versa.
Perhaps Marshall McLuhan said it best when he stated, “Now man is beginning to wear his brain on the outside of his skull and his nerves outside his skin: technology breeds new man”(McLuhan, 1995). It is clear that technologies surround us and become extensions of ourselves and therefore grow into symbiotic hosts, benefiting each other. However, the most important question arises, when will man become the extension of the machine?
(McLuhan, Marshall. Interview, By Frank Zingrone. The Essential McLuhan, 1995.)

CCA #1 Choice of Behaviour While Communicating

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, what you are about to read may shock and terrify you and maybe even inform you of the behavioural choices behind communication.
Whether it is a dyadic, interpersonal or even mass communication, choosing the appropriate behaviour will influence the effectiveness of you as a communicator. Choosing a suitable behaviour while speaking depends on one’s goal, and audience for successful communication to take place.
To start, choosing the appropriate behaviour for a situation will depend on the goal you are trying to achieve. Recently, during the present provincial election, one of the candidates adjusted his pitch and volume in such a way to draw attention to him at a campaign stop like he was angry. Finishing with large hand motions and a loud finale, he received and huge applause and media attention. His goal to achieve media coverage was achieved by this use of behaviour, tailored to public communication. Therefore, depending on the goal one is trying to achieve, a suitable behaviour must be chosen.
Moreover, a communicator’s audience plays a role in the choosing a specific behaviour. “What is appropriate for one person won’t be appropriate for another one at all”(Alder, Rodman, and Sévigny 24). Yet again, a candidate was speaking in a small town up north with a large dropout rate. Thus he modified his language for all of the citizens to understand. He expressed everything in “Layman’s terms” and used many analogies to help communicate his message. Therefore, depending on the audience, one will have to tailor his or her methods for communicating to an audience.
In closing, selecting a suitable behaviour while speaking depends on one’s goal, and audience to be a successful communicator in any situation. As one can see, there are examples all around us everyday. As communicators it is up to us to determine our level of success through the utilization of these simple yet often forgotten tools.
Adler, Ronald B., Rodman, George., Sevigny, Alexandre. Understanding Human Communication. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2008.

63% of Voters Say "NO!" to MMP!

This is the second ballot voters were asked to complete at pollin station across the province.

The old redneck saying “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” seems to run true the recent referendum. Why change something that has worked since the beginning of Canada? Just recently, Ontarians have wisely chosen to keep the current electoral system. There was and always will be those who gripe about changing it and blaming elections Canada for not spreading the word. Quite frankly, these would be the same people who would complain when they immediately realize the downfalls of the new mixed- member proportional system. If the system had been in place last night it would have dramatically increased the NDP's seat total and put the Green Party into the legislature for the first time. Thank god it didn’t pass, can you imagine what those tree-hugging hippies would have done when they saw all of that glossy embossed carved Maple in Queens Park? I think a riot in the legislature was narrowly diverted!
Larry Gordon, the campaign manager for the citizens' group Vote for MMP, stated it appeared many voters simply didn't get the information they needed to decide. He said Elections Ontario, which said it sent out millions of leaflets and spent $6.8-million, still could have done more to spread the word. Well gee golly, if you wanted more publicity how about you shell out the cash or walk door to door instead of the rest of the informed tax payers paying for it. However, results showed that voters were strongly opposed to the new plan to make Ontario's voting system mirror the popular vote. In total, roughly 63 per cent of voters chose to retain the current system.

However, more disturbing is the fact that he issue of electoral reform will be back on the ballot there in 2009. Previously, PEI voters rejected MMP in 2005, as did British Columbia more recently. The main push for a new system is because it would eliminate the difficulty of parties forming majority governments with less than 50 % of the vote by making sure that a party's share of seats in the legislature more closely proportional its popular support.
Voters would still elect local MPPs, much as they do now, but there would be only 90 seats chosen this way. Voters would also be asked to vote separately for a party. Another 39 seats in the legislature, drawn from lists of candidates submitted by each party, would be given based on these votes, for a total of 129 seats, compared with the current 107. These seats would only be awarded to parties that win at least 3 % of the vote, to limit outside groups.
To me, all the new system would do is create more people in the legislature, 22 to be exact. That is an extra 22 people you need to pay a government salary to. If you were to guess tat the average salary was $65,000, multiply that by 22 people, and you are paying out 1.43 million dollars a year, not to mention paying them pension after they retire! Furthermore, think about how difficult it is with 107 people to pass any new legislation. Now imagine that with 22 extra people. I just really do not see how this could be any better for Ontario.

So it sits, 107 seats.

Halo 3... Worth the Hype?

Halo 3 is the latest version of the Halo series of games offered by Microsoft Game Studios. The Halo trilogy may have one of the largest followings of any game ever released. To most Halo game owners, the game is they're favourite, why is this?? Many speculate that the latest release is all hype, and Microsoft and Bungee programmers have blown the game out of proportion. Personally, I am all for the hype. It is a brilliant marketing strategy used by Bill Gates and his team at Microsoft. Many people bought the most advanced gaming console sold by Microsoft just for this game. The expectations were so high for this game; I guess it is only up to the owner to decide this.

Not only was Microsoft Game Studios' Halo 3 the most eagerly anticipated video game of the year, it achieved a milestone of a million preorders two months ago. This first person shooter has become a cultural phenomenon, spawning novels, comics, action figures and a top-secret project with Academy Award-winning director Peter Jackson.


So the big question is: Does "Halo 3" live up to the hype? Absolutely. The 3rd and final game e went on sale Tuesday at midnight, contributing to the billion-dollar saga.
The game doesn't stray from what made its predecessors so addictive, but die-hard fans can look forward to some new features, to make doling out their hard earned money justifiable.

The story in this third game is deeper than a usual "save the world" campaign. Halo 3 is mostly a first-person perspective like the previous games with the option to drive vehicles in the third person. The amazing high-definition graphics, which include many cinema quality story sequences, push the X-box 360 to its full potential. Thousands of lines of story and music help you immerse yourself in the story.

Screenshot of the graphics

The feature, which is probably most attractive to Halo 3 owners, is the fact that Halo 3 lets up to four gamers play through the entire game together in a cooperative mode either in front of the same television or on Xbox Live online gaming service. This may be why the hype is so anticipated, the fact that the game brings millions of people together with one common interest. Like we learned in class, the Internet and technology is a space binding. Making it able to bring gamers together into a small community. Also there is a new feature to record a portion of your game, to play back at any time, and from multiple camera angles. A new tool called Forge gives players the option to tweak existing multiplayer maps before playing on them with friends. While you cannot alter the general outline, you can place objects such as weapons and vehicles in different areas and change re-spawn points to structure the game differently.

Of course you may need to be an avid gamer to appreciate the new tweaks to the game. As well, because the game is for the X Box 360 platform, graphics are second to none.

In conclusion, I believe the game is worth the hype and so do many friends. I seriously think that with over 1.2 million preordered copies, many people have fallen for the hype. This game may not just be a game; it is a way of life to some and cultural phenomena amongst gamers.

These are some fans waiting in line for copies of the game at midnight.

Parking lot party the night of the release, note the booster cable to run the TV!!

The following is the link to the 90 second Halo 3 trailer. It's purpose again was to hype the game by reminding fans how epic the game was going to be. Alot of emotion is evoked by this concept of real toy figures combined with the music and finally the impending doom of Cheif.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjhSp7xGsMc

Another commercial with more run and gun hype to get the adrenaline flowing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCsdPszJLNQ&mode=related&search=

Finally the contrasting side to all the hype, Caution some people may not find this funny! View at your own risk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvanJYOGlus